Differential DNA methylation and lymphocyte proportions in a Costa Rican high longevity region.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica has one of the highest old-age life expectancies in the world, but the underlying biological mechanisms of this longevity are not well understood. As DNA methylation is hypothesized to be a component of biological aging, we focused on this malleable epigenetic mark to determine its association with current residence in Nicoya versus elsewhere in Costa Rica. Examining a population's unique DNA methylation pattern allows us to differentiate hallmarks of longevity from individual stochastic variation. These differences may be characteristic of a combination of social, biological, and environmental contexts.

Methods

In a cross-sectional subsample of the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study, we compared whole blood DNA methyl

SUBMITTER: McEwen LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5408416 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature